A recent study found that cancer will affect as many as 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women in the United States, and the number of new cases of cancer is set to nearly double by the year 2050. Both predictions are based on statistics collected by the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program at the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
But you can also find a study that shows only 1 in 7 athletes get cancer. Do you know the reason?
Breathing properly can help you reduce the risk. This study shows two factors: athlete’s blood has more oxygen than ordinary people’s and athletes have a more activate lymphatic system which in turn markedly enhances their immune system.
The study shows deep breathing can accelerate the elimination of toxins from our body (feeding and cleansing your cells) 15 times faster than with normal breathing.
Here is one way to do deep breathing exercise by yourself: 
Dantien (Abdomen) Breathing Exercise
You can find your Dantien this way;
With your hand flat against your belly, fingers together, thumb above and fingers below, put your thumb directly over your umbilicus. The “Sea of Chi”, an acupuncture point, is directly beneath your ring finger. Place your other hand beneath the first hand. Your second hand is now over your Dantien. The Dantien is a larger area that includes the “Hinge at the Source” or “Guan Yuan”. The word Dantien translated literally as “cinnabar or red field” and is loosely translated as “elixir field”. It is the main source of Chi/power in your body.
Concave Breathing: The Dantien moves inward with each indrawn breath. Your hand moves in towards your spine as the skin over your Dantien becomes more concave. You will feel more expansion in your chest and upper abdomen with this variation. 
Practicing: Inhale until you cannot breathe-in anymore then holds your breath between 15~20 seconds then slowly breathe-out as slow as you can.
Practicing 10 minutes, twice a day will be good for you. Before doing this exercise you can drink some warm water. Practice it before meals, or wait one hour after a meal before starting.
There are more clinical studies showing that our breathing has profound effects on our mental, physical and emotional health. But this knowledge has been found in ancient wisdom back several thousand years, and in many cultures.
There is a story in Zen Buddhism that goes like this:
Two thousand five hundred years ago, Shakyamuni Buddha was at Gridhrakuta (Spirit Peak) mountain. He seated himself on a platform then asked his disciples, “How long is the human lifespan?”
One said, “Eighty years.”
Buddha said, “Wrong.”
Some disciples said, “Seventy years…sixty years.”
Buddha said, “Wrong, wrong!”
The disciples asked, “Then just how long is the human lifespan?”
Buddha answered, “Life is all in the breathing!
So, are you afraid cancer will affect you? The best and cheapest way to avert it is by doing deep breathing exercise every day. 
Three weeks ago I read an interesting internet news article. Its name is “Time Travel Is Possible, Says Stephen Hawking”.
“Famed astrophysicist Stephen Hawking believes humans are capable of time travel — and he’s not afraid to let everyone know. In the article Hawking said once spaceships were built that could fly faster than the speed of light, a day on board would be equivalent to a year on Earth. That’s because — according to Einstein — as objects accelerate through space, time slows down around them, which also means that Hawking’s theory only applies to moving forwards through time. Moving backwards is impossible, Hawking says, because it “violates a fundamental rule that cause comes before effect. “If moving backwards through time was possible, a person could shoot their former selves. “I believe things cannot make themselves impossible,” Hawking said. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-1269288/STEPHEN-HAWKING-How-build-time-machine.html
“A fundamental rule that cause comes before effect is the rule of the Universe. When Sakyamuni Buddha reached enlightenment two thousand five hundred years ago, he also found the truth of the Universe. The truth of Dependent Origination: that any phenomenon ‘exists’ only because of the ‘existence’ of other phenomena in a complex web of cause and effect covering time past, present and future. Because all things are thus conditioned and transient (Anicca), they have no real independent identity (Anatta). So he said that:
This being, That becomes.
From the arising of This, That arises.
That not becoming, This does not become.
From the ceasing of This, That ceases.
There is one phrase in Buddhism that goes like this; “Bodhisattva fear cause, worldly people fear effect”. A Bodhisattva is one whose “being” or “essence” is Bodhi, i.e. the wisdom resulting from direct perception of Truth with compassion awakened thereby. In Mahayana, the Bodhisattva exists in order to help humanity on its pilgrimage. They are often called “Buddhas of compassion”, as love in action guided by wisdom. A Bodhisattva is an awakened, understanding being and is therefore well aware that every single causal action produces an effect.
“Bodhisattva fear cause” because they understand the relationship between cause and effect. They are very careful in their every thought, word and action. This causes them to be fearful that a causal action will become a negative karmic effect in the future for they will certainly have to personally bear the consequences. Unlike Bodhisattvas, worldly people don’t know or don’t believe that every single effect is the result of every single cause. We are not cautious about every thought, word and action so when a bad consequence happens we become aware of it too late to regret.
My aim is to remind people that cause and effect always come together and there is nobody who can change it. Even Stephen Hawking believes that. So if you are not happy about the present situation then you have to think what caused it and start to change it.
“The present life is the result of the past life; the next life will be a consequence of this life.”
Thank you for visiting our website. We now have a webpage on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dharma-Zen-Tai-Chi-Studio/110163002347160?v=wall
Our goal is to help people have “Peace of mind and a comfortable body.” If you approve of our idea, you can help by becoming one of our fans and spreading this simple but powerful philosophy to your friends. We need your support! The world could be changed because of you!
Do not do evil things though they may be insignificant. Do not give up good things though they may be minor matters.– Chinese Maxim
There was one notable new article from last week’s news. It is called, “Woman with no arms goes for black belt.”
Sheila Radziewicz has been beating the odds since birth. 
“I was not supposed to live,” she said. “Then I wasn’t ever supposed to walk.”
Because of a congenital birth defect, she was born without arms. She also came into the world without kneecaps and with her feet rotated in, toward each other. She endured multiple surgeries as a young girl, all aimed at helping her walk. Until she was in junior high, Radziewicz had to wear metal braces that stopped at the top of her thigh, similar to the ones the character Forrest Gump wore in the movie. Today, Radziewicz, 32, is not only walking, she is kicking. And next month she will test for her black belt in taekwondo. Sheila Radziewicz was scheduled to take her test next month at Bruce McCorry’s Martial Arts in Peabody.
The Salem resident, who works as an advocate for victims of domestic violence, said she has never let her disability stop her. At 23, Radziewicz earned her driver’s license. She uses a car that she controls with her feet.
The 32-year-old brown belt, who was born with thrombocytopenia-absent radius, or TAR syndrome, told The Salem News she’s been training in martial arts for three years.
McCorry, her teacher, said he’s never seen a student like Radziewicz. Despite her condition, she can use nunchucks and break boards with her kicks. Reaching such heights in the realm of martial arts is laudable for anyone. For Radziewicz to do it is nearly a miracle. “I grew up with the phrase, ‘The impossible only takes a little longer,’” she said.
“She is a very motivating person for myself,” said McCorry, who has never had a student like Radziewicz in his 32 years operating a karate academy. “There are no excuses, in other words.” “She never feels sorry for herself,” instructor Sandra LaRosa said.
On the verge of her black belt, Radziewicz recently began to share her expertise with children in the studio’s beginner classes.
McCorry believes her success can be attributed to her positive attitude. “She can teach us all a lesson,” he said. 
http://www.salemnews.com/lifestyle/x537293054/DEFYING-THE-ODDS
Life is full of questions and challenges. Nobody’s life is always pleasing all of the time. So life’s lesson is learning how to face, and deal with, the questions and challenges. To pursue challenge means facing defeat or victory. Some people cope with defeat using self-pity or self-abandonment. But there are always some people who are optimistic and positive even in the face of defeat. These firm and unbowed people gain the respect of others.
Here is a maxim from Kongzi (Confucius). Many Chinese say: “s?n rén xíng?bì y?u w? sh?”. It means; “If three of us are walking together, at least one of the other two is good enough to be my teacher.”The similar axiom in English is; “there is always someone to learn from.” Sheila Radziewicz the martial-artist is an excellent example.
Last week there was a news article that touched people deeply in Taiwan:
Taipei, April 30 (CNA) A vegetable vendor from eastern Taiwan has made the U.S. Time magazine 2010 list of the 100 most influential persons in the world based on her philanthropy.
Chen Shu-chu was ranked eighth in the “heroes” category of the 2010 TIME 100 list.
“Out of her modest living, Chen, 59, has managed to donate nearly NT$10 million (that’s US$320,000) to various causes, including US$32,000 for a children’s fund, US$144,000 to help build a library at a school she attended and another US$32,000 for the local orphanage, where she also gives financial support to three children,” the magazine states.
Chen, who did not complete elementary school because of poverty, said she doesn’t know anything about TIME 100.
“I feel kind of ashamed… but I appreciate all the concern shown to me, ” she said, adding that she was never informed about the Time magazine honor.
Chen began selling vegetables at a traditional market in Taitung City on Taiwan’s eastern coast when she was 13 years old to support her six siblings.
Almost five decades later, she continues to earn every penny the hard way, getting up at 3 a.m. to prepare for her workday. In the market, her stand is always the first to open and the last to close.
“What’s so wonderful about Chen’s achievement is not its extraordinariness but that it is so simple and matter of fact in its generosity,” states the citation in the magazine, which was written by New York-based Taiwanese film director Ang Lee.(Lee is the Taiwanese-born director of Brokeback Mountain)
She was quoted as having told a newspaper that “money serves its purpose only when it is used for those who need it.” According to Time Magazine, she is planning to establish a fund to help the poor with education, food and health care.
“Amazing, but of all she has given away, her greatest gift is her example,” the citation states.
In March, Chen was selected by Forbes magazine of the U.S. as one of the 48 heroes of philanthropy from Asia. http://focustaiwan.tw/ShowNews/WebNews_Detail.aspx?ID=201005020014&Type=aPPL
Chen Shu-Chu, an ordinary vegetable vendor, has created an extraordinary legacy and glory! Many people like to be special and important, above others. But sometimes these people think they are special and important just because they are wealthier than other people. I heard a gigantic boast from Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein, who said: “We’re very important,” and “I’m doing ‘God’s Work.’ http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article6907681.ece
This Wall Street banker creates a strong contrast to a simple vegetable vendor.
Who is more important? And who is doing God’s work? I think everyone know the answer.
